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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ground — a position
  6. rock — music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mate — to breed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rest — a break
  21. content — the amount
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. content — happy

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