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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. clip — to cut
  4. saw — the tool
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. clip — for paper
  7. content — the amount
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. toast — bread
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stock — goods
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. clip — a video
  20. saw — the tool
  21. content — happy
  22. sharp — clever
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. stock — shares

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