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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. content — the amount
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. content — happy
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rock — a stone
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rock — music
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pass — a permit
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rest — a break

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