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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: game · calf · bay · sharp · march · cold · drill · safe

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. march — the month
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. drill — the tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. march — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. game — a match
  15. drill — army training
  16. march — the month
  17. drill — a practice
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. game — wild animals
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cold — an illness

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