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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. content — happy
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. kid — child
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. kid — to tease
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. content — the amount
  16. cue — for pool
  17. suit — clothes
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. suit — to fit
  24. content — videos and posts

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