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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. dip — to sink
  5. content — the amount
  6. key — in music
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. key — the most important part
  9. content — happy
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. swing — in golf
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. swing — to play on
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. swing — music
  18. key — for a lock

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