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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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. content — happy
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. charge — in control
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. spring — of water
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spring — the season
  10. field — farmland
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. fine — all right
  15. content — the amount
  16. field — for sport
  17. fine — high quality
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. snap — to click
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. field — a subject
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. charge — electricity

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