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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. club — for golf
  2. mug — a face
  3. bear — the animal
  4. content — the amount
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. club — a group
  9. mug — a cup
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mug — to rob
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. content — happy
  17. bear — the animal
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bear — to put up with
  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