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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. roll — a list
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. shower — to wash
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. content — the amount
  10. roll — a cake
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. content — happy
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. shower — rain
  23. wax — to grow
  24. roll — on a roll

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