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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. ball — a great time
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. ball — a dance
  7. charge — electricity
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. staff — employees
  10. bank — of a river
  11. content — happy
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. content — the amount
  14. bank — for money
  15. staff — a stick
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bank — for money
  18. charge — a price
  19. staff — employees
  20. charge — in control
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. kick — in football
  24. pass — to spend time

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