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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bound — tied together
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cue — a signal
  17. content — the amount
  18. scale — in music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. content — happy
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bound — certain
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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