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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. content — happy
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. content — the amount
  18. last — finally
  19. staff — employees
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. staff — a stick
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lie — to recline

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