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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: wave · pass · calf · bear · tube · mate · clip · cell

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pass — a permit
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — in biology
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tube — the underground
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cell — a phone
  13. tube — a container
  14. mate — a partner
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. clip — a video
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bear — the animal

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