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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: bay · pass · saw · clip · race · cabinet · leaves · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. race — the arms race
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. saw — the tool
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. race — humankind
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. clip — a video
  19. saw — the tool
  20. race — a contest
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pass — to succeed

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