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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 120 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: tube · march · mouse · calf · land · wind · safe · rock

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. land — ground
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. march — the month
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tube — a container
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rock — music
  16. land — a country
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. land — to come down
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. wind — moving air

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