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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. hand — help
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. date — the fruit
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. hand — in cards
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wind — moving air
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wind — moving air
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. calf — a young animal
  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