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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. squash — to crush
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wake — a trail
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. stand — to bear
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. content — the amount
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. season — in sport
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. content — happy
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mouse — for a computer

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