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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: calf · sharp · mate · rush · season · spell · pit · tear

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mate — a partner
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pit — in a race
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. season — in sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. spell — a short 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