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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. content — happy
  4. mug — a cup
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rash — a series
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. field — farmland
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. mug — to rob
  13. lie — to recline
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. field — a subject
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mug — a face
  19. content — the amount
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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