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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. last — final
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spell — magic
  8. pass — a permit
  9. spell — letters
  10. last — finally
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. face — to confront
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. branch — a division
  16. spell — a short time
  17. last — to go on
  18. face — part of the head
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. calf — a young animal

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