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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: mine · object · rock · calf · safe · track · degree · snap

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. object — a thing
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. degree — temperature
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. rock — a stone
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mine — for digging
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — an amount
  15. object — to protest
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rock — music
  19. track — a song
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. object — an aim
  24. snap — to click

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