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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bank — of a river
  5. swing — music
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bank — for money
  9. sharp — clever
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. key — in music
  15. charge — in control
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. charge — a price
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bank — for money
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. charge — electricity
  24. calf — of the leg

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