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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wound — an injury
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. wound — an injury
  11. scale — in music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pass — a permit
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cold — an illness
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pass — to succeed

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