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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. last — to go on
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cap — a lid
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cap — of ice
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cap — a hat
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. last — finally
  23. pass — a permit
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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