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

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. degree — from a university
  14. band — a music group
  15. degree — temperature
  16. saw — the tool
  17. sharp — clever
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. saw — the tool
  22. degree — an amount
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. band — a ring

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