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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cell — in biology
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bore — to drill
  8. snap — to click
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. deal — to handle
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bore — to tire
  19. content — the amount
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cell — a phone
  24. calf — of the leg

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