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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: bound · calf · mark · wound · track · saw · sharp · safe

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mark — a grade
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. sharp — clever
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bound — certain
  14. track — to keep track
  15. saw — the tool
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. track — a path
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. track — a song
  21. wound — an injury
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bound — tied together
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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