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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 120 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rock — a stone
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. cue — a signal
  6. content — happy
  7. content — the amount
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bear — the animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rock — music
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rush — to hurry

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