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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 120 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pop — soda
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rash — a series
  8. present — a gift
  9. content — happy
  10. bear — the animal
  11. present — there
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pop — to visit
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pop — music
  19. content — the amount
  20. present — the time now
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rash — on the skin

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