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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. ground — the earth
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rest — a break
  9. band — a ring
  10. rest — what's left
  11. band — a music group
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ground — crushed
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ground — a position
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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