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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. last — final
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. last — finally
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. branch — a division
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. last — to go on
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. date — the fruit
  24. branch — of a tree

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