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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 112 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. last — to go on
  5. board — to get on
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. board — a committee
  8. craft — a skill
  9. last — finally
  10. craft — boats
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wind — moving air
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. last — final
  17. content — happy
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. calf — a young animal

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