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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bound — obliged
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chest — a box
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bound — tied together
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wake — a trail
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bound — certain
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. game — a match
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. game — wild animals

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