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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: wake · calf · clip · content · pop · net · ruler · lie

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pop — music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pop — to visit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. net — in sport
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. clip — a video
  9. wake — a trail
  10. net — for catching
  11. pop — soda
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. net — after costs
  16. content — the amount
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lie — to recline
  21. content — happy
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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