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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. shower — to wash
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. row — to paddle
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. land — a country
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. row — a line
  11. land — to come down
  12. suit — in cards
  13. land — ground
  14. bark — to shout
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. shower — rain
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pass — a permit
  24. suit — to fit

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