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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. club — for dancing
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. object — to protest
  9. file — a tool
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. object — an aim
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. club — a group
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. file — a document
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kick — in football
  23. object — a thing
  24. club — for golf

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