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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. clip — to cut
  5. fork — in a road
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mug — a cup
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mug — a face
  13. cap — a hat
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — for paper
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cue — a hint
  20. key — in music
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cue — a signal

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