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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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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. file — a document
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. file — a tool
  15. suit — clothes
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pass — a permit
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wave — of the sea

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