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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. spell — magic
  3. charge — a price
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bore — to tire
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bore — to drill
  14. charge — in control
  15. content — happy
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. content — the amount
  18. lie — to recline
  19. deal — to handle
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. spell — letters
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. calf — a young animal

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