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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. track — a path
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. sharp — clever
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bark — to shout
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wake — a trail
  15. track — a song
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pass — a permit
  18. dip — to sink
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. track — to keep track
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rush — to hurry

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