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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 · mouse · coach · tear · sharp · hand · calf · bear

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. hand — in cards
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. hand — help
  7. bear — the animal
  8. content — happy
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. content — the amount
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. tear — from crying
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. content — videos and posts

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