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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. ball — a dance
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. content — the amount
  8. pop — to visit
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pop — music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. content — happy
  22. bark — to shout
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pop — soda

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