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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. snap — to click
  3. capital — money
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pass — a permit
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. capital — a city
  10. season — in sport
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. season — of the year
  22. ball — a dance
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. season — to add flavour

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