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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. content — happy
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. tube — a container
  11. kick — in football
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. content — the amount

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