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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 · pass · calf · shower · wound · pit · hide · date

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. shower — rain
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pit — a hole
  16. hand — help
  17. wound — an injury
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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