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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. tear — to rip
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. net — after costs
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. key — for a lock
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. content — the amount
  13. net — for catching
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wake — a trail
  16. tear — from crying
  17. chip — for betting
  18. net — in sport
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. key — in music
  21. content — happy
  22. tube — a container
  23. key — the most important part
  24. tear — from crying

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