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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 120 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. cue — a hint
  6. march — the month
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. march — the month
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cue — for pool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cue — a signal
  17. march — music
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. content — the amount
  21. fall — the season
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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