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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. content — happy
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bear — the animal
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. ball — a dance
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. hand — help
  22. rush — hurry
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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