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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. ball — a dance
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. face — part of the head
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. club — for dancing
  9. face — to point toward
  10. current — happening now
  11. content — happy
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. club — for golf
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. face — to confront
  17. content — the amount
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. current — of water
  20. ball — a great time
  21. club — a group
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. chest — of your body
  24. current — electric

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