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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: hand · wake · date · pass · roll · calf · mug · dip

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pass — a permit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. roll — a cake
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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