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

Word bank: pass · calf · spell · chest · kid · key · cap · content

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. key — for a lock
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. pass — a permit
  14. chest — of your body
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. key — in music
  17. chest — a box
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spell — magic
  20. kid — to tease
  21. content — happy
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. chest — of your 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