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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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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: fork · calf · wave · kick · present · last · pitcher · safe

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. last — finally
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. last — final
  16. last — to go on
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. present — there
  21. kick — in football
  22. present — a gift
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — the time now

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