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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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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: leaves · mark · wake · mate · saw · calf · can · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mate — to breed
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mark — a grade
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mark — a trace
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mate — a partner
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mate — a friend
  24. can — a tin

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