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

Word bank: tear · mug · content · calf · mate · cell · march · rash

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. march — the month
  3. tear — to rip
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mate — a partner
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. march — music
  11. content — happy
  12. cell — in biology
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mate — a friend
  15. rash — a series
  16. mug — to rob
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mug — a cup
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. content — the amount
  22. mug — a face
  23. march — the month
  24. rash — hasty

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