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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rash — hasty
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bat — the animal
  18. content — happy
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rash — a series
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. leaves — lets stay

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