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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. content — happy
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. hand — in cards
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. content — the amount
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. tear — to rip
  21. hand — help
  22. bear — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tear — from crying

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