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

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. file — a tool
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. file — a document
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. key — in music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. file — a line of people
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. prune — the fruit

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