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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 120 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
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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: present · pass · rash · calf · scale · bat · trunk · wake

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. present — there
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. present — the time now
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. present — a gift
  17. wake — a trail
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rash — a series
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rash — hasty

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