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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · calf · pass · shower · hide · scale · date · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fall — the season
  6. date — the fruit
  7. shower — rain
  8. fall — to drop
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fall — to drop
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. shower — to wash
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. scale — in music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. scale — size or range
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pass — to succeed

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