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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. content — the amount
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. kid — to tease
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. content — happy
  16. kid — child
  17. band — a ring
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kick — in football
  20. band — a music group
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pass — a permit

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