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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. tear — from crying
  3. content — happy
  4. tear — to rip
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. face — to confront
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. content — the amount
  12. face — to point toward
  13. current — of water
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. hand — in cards
  18. face — part of the head
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitch — completely
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. tear — from crying
  24. content — videos and posts

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