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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. deal — to handle
  4. content — the amount
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. sharp — clever
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. content — happy
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. cold — not warm
  21. charge — a price
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cold — an illness
  24. calf — a young animal

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