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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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. wound — an injury
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. club — a group
  8. rush — hurry
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. club — for dancing
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. club — for golf
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. sharp — clever
  24. dip — to sink

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