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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cap — a hat
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — in cards
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mug — a face
  14. file — a tool
  15. content — happy
  16. cap — of ice
  17. wound — an injury
  18. scale — in music
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. scale — size or range
  21. content — the amount
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mug — a cup
  24. file — a document

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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