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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. craft — a skill
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rock — music
  10. content — happy
  11. craft — boats
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. key — for a lock
  14. tear — to rip
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. key — the most important part
  17. content — the amount
  18. rock — a stone
  19. tear — from crying
  20. key — in music
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. fall — to drop
  24. calf — a young animal

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