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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. spring — the season
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cell — in biology
  7. content — happy
  8. content — the amount
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mate — a partner
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. spring — of water
  19. mug — a face
  20. mate — to breed
  21. cue — a hint
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. snap — to click
  24. spring — a coil

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