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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. dip — to sink
  6. content — happy
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bank — for money
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bank — for money
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. bank — of a river
  17. lie — to recline
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. content — the amount
  22. spell — letters
  23. pop — music
  24. lie — an untruth

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