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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pop — music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pop — to visit
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pop — soda
  10. fall — the season
  11. rest — a break
  12. date — the fruit
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. content — happy
  15. rest — what's left
  16. dip — to sink
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rest — what's left
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fall — to drop
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. content — the amount
  24. drill — army training

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