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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: chest · pass · mate · wound · can · date · calf · sharp

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. can — a tin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. can — to be able to
  7. chest — of your body
  8. sharp — clever
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. can — a tin
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pass — a permit

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