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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bound — certain
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. kid — child
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. swing — music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. swing — in golf
  23. kid — to tease
  24. wave — of the sea

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