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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — there
  3. content — happy
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. march — music
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. content — the amount
  10. fine — high quality
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. march — the month
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. present — a gift
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fine — all right
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stem — to come from
  23. march — the month
  24. stem — a stem cell

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