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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mark — a grade
  4. saw — the tool
  5. firm — decided
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. firm — a company
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — steady
  16. press — newspapers
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. content — happy
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. content — the amount
  22. deal — to handle
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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