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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. charge — in control
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rash — hasty
  5. content — the amount
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. rash — a series
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. chair — a leader
  15. content — happy
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. charge — a price
  24. bear — the 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