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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · bear · calf · pop · face · hide · mate · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pop — soda
  3. content — the amount
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mate — a friend
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pop — music
  17. mate — to breed
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. content — happy
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pop — to visit
  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