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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. key — in music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. field — a subject
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mine — for digging
  15. field — farmland
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. key — the most important part
  18. field — for sport
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. safe — out of danger

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