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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.

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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: calf · date · track · wake · bore · safe · bowl · snap

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. snap — to click
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. track — a song
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bore — to drill
  12. date — the fruit
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. track — a path
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. date — on the calendar

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