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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. content — happy
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. row — to paddle
  13. face — part of the head
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. tube — a container
  17. face — to confront
  18. row — a line
  19. object — an aim
  20. face — to point toward
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pound — a weight
  23. object — to protest
  24. can — a tin

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