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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. degree — an amount
  4. key — in music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. degree — temperature
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. key — the most important part
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. rule — government
  13. snap — to click
  14. present — a gift
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rest — a break
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. present — there
  22. rest — what's left
  23. present — the time now
  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