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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. content — the amount
  4. wind — moving air
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mark — a trace
  8. content — happy
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mark — a grade
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. march — music
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. calf — a young animal

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