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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. can — to be able to
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. spring — the season
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. spring — of water
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. can — a tin
  14. last — final
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. last — to go on
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. can — a tin
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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