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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.

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: rush · wind · calf · nail · pass · fine · rest · date

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. date — the fruit
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rest — a break
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fine — high quality
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rest — what's left
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fine — all right
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pass — to spend time

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