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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. present — a gift
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. lie — to recline
  7. content — the amount
  8. prune — to trim
  9. present — the time now
  10. pop — soda
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fine — high quality
  19. present — there
  20. rush — hurry
  21. fine — all right
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. prune — the fruit
  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