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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. content — the amount
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. last — final
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mate — to breed
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ground — a position
  22. last — to go on
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lie — an untruth

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