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

Word bank: mine · wave · pass · snap · key · wake · cold · calf

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cold — not warm
  4. snap — to click
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cold — an illness
  7. key — the most important part
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wake — a trail
  12. key — for a lock
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. key — in music
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. wave — with your hand

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