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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. key — for a lock
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. key — the most important part
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — of the year
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. tube — the underground
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. key — in music
  16. tube — a container
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fork — in a road
  20. content — happy
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. content — the amount
  23. suit — in cards
  24. fork — to eat with

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