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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · pass · row · key · calf · fall · racket · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. fall — to drop
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. fall — the season
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. row — to paddle
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spring — the season
  15. key — in music
  16. rush — hurry
  17. key — for a lock
  18. spring — a coil
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pass — a permit
  21. spring — of water
  22. key — the most important part
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. row — a line

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