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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. land — to come down
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pass — a permit
  23. land — a country
  24. leaves — to go away

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