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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. content — the amount
  4. wound — an injury
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mate — a partner
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rash — hasty
  14. content — happy
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wound — an injury
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mate — to breed
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rash — a series
  24. calf — a young animal

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