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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lean — thin
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lean — to bend
  10. object — a thing
  11. kid — to tease
  12. object — an aim
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. content — happy
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. object — to protest
  23. kid — child
  24. calf — a young animal

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