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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cell — a phone
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bear — the animal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wind — moving air
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bear — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. content — happy
  21. wind — moving air
  22. can — a tin
  23. content — the amount
  24. wind — to turn a key

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