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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: spell · pass · tube · safe · cabinet · last · coach · calf

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. spell — letters
  7. last — finally
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. last — to go on
  10. spell — a short time
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. spell — magic
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. last — final
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  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