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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mate — to breed
  8. content — the amount
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rest — a break
  11. rash — a series
  12. season — of the year
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stem — to come from
  17. season — in sport
  18. rash — hasty
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mate — a friend
  24. calf — a young animal

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