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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kick — in football
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. staff — employees
  10. content — happy
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rush — hurry
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. content — the amount
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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