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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. drill — the tool
  7. roll — a list
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. content — happy
  17. drill — a practice
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — the amount
  20. drill — army training
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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