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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. club — a group
  5. kid — to tease
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rush — hurry
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. content — the amount
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pass — a permit
  16. root — the cause
  17. club — for golf
  18. content — happy
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. root — of a word
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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