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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 116 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: march · safe · pitch · calf · leaves · rush · present · lean

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. present — a gift
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. lean — thin
  10. pitch — completely
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. present — there
  14. rush — hurry
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. march — the month
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. present — the time now
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. lean — to bend

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