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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. spring — of water
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. chip — for betting
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. last — final
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. last — finally

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