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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 120 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.

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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: ball · bat · hide · safe · last · field · rush · calf

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. field — for sport
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. field — a subject
  7. bat — the animal
  8. last — final
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. last — to go on
  12. rush — hurry
  13. last — finally
  14. ball — a dance
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. field — farmland
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hide — animal skin

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