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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. pass — a permit
  14. spell — magic
  15. rash — hasty
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cold — not warm
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rash — a series
  22. spell — letters
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rush — hurry

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