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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. field — a subject
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. last — finally
  13. rule — a law
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. suit — in cards
  17. last — to go on
  18. rule — government
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. calf — of the leg

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