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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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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: calf · suit · firm · field · mark · pass · rest · last

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. last — final
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rest — a break
  6. field — farmland
  7. firm — a company
  8. last — finally
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. field — a subject
  13. firm — steady
  14. rest — what's left
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. firm — decided
  17. last — to go on
  18. mark — a trace
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mark — a grade
  24. field — for sport

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