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

Word bank: deal · wave · calf · face · track · mate · pass · clip

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. face — part of the head
  3. track — a path
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. track — a song
  6. mate — a partner
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. clip — a video
  14. face — to confront
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. track — to keep track
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mate — a friend
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mate — to breed
  24. face — to point toward

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