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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. object — an aim
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. content — happy
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. shower — to wash
  8. season — in sport
  9. object — to protest
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. shower — rain
  13. suit — in cards
  14. season — of the year
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. object — a thing
  17. content — the amount
  18. suit — to fit
  19. tear — to rip
  20. ball — a great time
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. tear — from crying
  23. ball — a dance
  24. tear — from crying

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