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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 · wave · wake · arm · nail · court · date · pass

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pass — a permit
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. date — the fruit
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. wake — a trail
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. court — for sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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