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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. track — a song
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. content — the amount
  5. track — to keep track
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mate — a partner
  9. track — a path
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. spell — letters
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mate — to breed
  15. tube — a container
  16. spell — magic
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. tube — the underground
  20. content — happy
  21. mate — a friend
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. row — a line
  24. spell — a short time

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