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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. club — for dancing
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. club — a group
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kick — in football
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. club — for golf
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. content — happy
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stand — to bear
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. content — videos and posts

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