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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pop — music
  3. present — the time now
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pop — soda
  10. content — the amount
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. chip — to eat
  16. content — happy
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. present — there
  20. saw — the tool
  21. present — a gift
  22. chip — for betting
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pop — to visit

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