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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mug — a cup
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mug — a face
  8. content — happy
  9. rest — what's left
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. pop — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rest — a break
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. content — the amount
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pop — soda
  22. fine — high quality
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rest — what's left

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