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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. face — part of the head
  3. march — music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mug — to rob
  6. face — to confront
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stock — shares
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. content — the amount
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. face — to point toward
  15. march — the month
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. stock — goods
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. march — the month
  22. mug — a face
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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