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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. content — happy
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. spell — a short time
  10. content — the amount
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fine — all right
  18. staff — employees
  19. spell — letters
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mate — a partner
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. spell — magic
  24. fine — high quality

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