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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rest — a break
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. content — the amount
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mark — a grade
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. content — happy
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mark — a trace

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