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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. content — the amount
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. tear — from crying
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. perch — the fish
  8. content — happy
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tear — from crying
  13. sharp — clever
  14. firm — a company
  15. chip — to eat
  16. firm — steady
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. firm — decided
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tear — to rip
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. content — videos and posts

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