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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. season — of the year
  4. swing — to play on
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. drill — a practice
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. season — in sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — music
  15. spell — magic
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. drill — army training

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