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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · calf · safe · kick · ground · mine · toast · coach

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kick — in football
  7. toast — bread
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rash — a series
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rash — hasty
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ground — a position
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. ground — the earth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com