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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. swing — music
  4. row — to paddle
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rest — what's left
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. kick — in football
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. swing — in golf
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. swing — to play on

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