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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: racket · rush · mate · safe · clip · wake · calf · rock

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rock — music
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. clip — a video
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rush — hurry
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mate — to breed
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mate — a friend
  22. clip — to cut
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. calf — of the leg

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