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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. clip — a video
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. tear — from crying
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. current — happening now
  11. content — the amount
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pit — in a race
  14. current — of water
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. current — electric
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. tear — from crying
  24. toast — the most admired

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