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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: tear · key · mate · present · season · calf · bass · wake

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. season — in sport
  7. wake — a trail
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bass — the fish
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. present — there
  17. bass — low music
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. season — of the year
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. present — the time now
  23. tear — to rip
  24. present — a gift

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