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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.

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: last · spring · key · tear · fine · mouse · pass · calf

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. spring — of water
  6. last — to go on
  7. tear — to rip
  8. spring — the season
  9. last — final
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fine — all right
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pass — a permit
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. key — in music
  18. fine — high quality
  19. last — finally
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. key — for a lock

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