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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. kid — child
  3. content — the amount
  4. mug — a face
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. firm — steady
  9. ball — a great time
  10. face — to point toward
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mug — to rob
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. face — to confront
  15. firm — decided
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mug — a cup
  20. face — part of the head
  21. content — happy
  22. kid — to tease
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. firm — a company

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