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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 124 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. content — the amount
  4. suit — in cards
  5. track — a song
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. race — the arms race
  10. content — happy
  11. race — humankind
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wound — an injury
  14. track — a path
  15. suit — to fit
  16. race — a contest
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wound — an injury
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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