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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. content — the amount
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. key — for a lock
  9. land — ground
  10. key — in music
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. land — a country
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rock — music
  16. last — finally
  17. key — the most important part
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. land — to come down
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. last — final
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. last — to go on

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