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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. suit — to fit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. suit — clothes
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. key — the most important part
  13. tear — to rip
  14. lean — to bend
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. degree — temperature
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lean — thin

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