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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. content — the amount
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ball — a dance
  5. object — a thing
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. last — final
  8. content — happy
  9. last — to go on
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. last — finally
  17. object — an aim
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. object — to protest
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. lie — an untruth

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