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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lie — to recline
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. staff — employees
  12. present — a gift
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. content — the amount
  15. field — for sport
  16. staff — a stick
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. staff — employees
  21. field — a subject
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. field — farmland
  24. arm — part of the body

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