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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. content — happy
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. toast — bread
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chest — a box
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. chest — of your body
  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