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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. kid — child
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mark — a grade
  10. kid — to tease
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fall — the season
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mate — a friend
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. fall — to drop
  24. content — happy

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