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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. firm — a company
  5. rush — hurry
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. ground — a position
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. firm — steady
  10. content — happy
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fine — all right
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fine — high quality
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. firm — decided
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. content — the amount

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