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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cue — for pool
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. tear — from crying
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cue — a signal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. tear — to rip
  13. fall — the season
  14. fine — all right
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fall — to drop
  17. content — happy
  18. cue — a hint
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tear — from crying
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fine — a penalty

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