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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. firm — a company
  3. chip — for betting
  4. firm — decided
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — in sport
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. firm — steady
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chip — to eat
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — happy
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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