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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. content — the amount
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. content — happy
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. jam — in traffic

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