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

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. key — for a lock
  5. chair — a leader
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. sharp — clever
  9. staff — employees
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. net — after costs
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. key — the most important part
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mate — to breed
  21. snap — to click
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. chair — a professorship

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