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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: game · spring · pass · bay · current · calf · wave · snap

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. current — happening now
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. current — of water
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pass — a permit
  16. game — a match
  17. current — electric
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. spring — of water
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. spring — the season
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. wave — of the sea

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