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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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Word bank
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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wound — an injury
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. club — for golf
  6. content — the amount
  7. wound — an injury
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. club — a group
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. prune — to trim
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. content — happy
  15. club — for dancing
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wake — a trail
  19. drill — army training
  20. can — a tin
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. prune — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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