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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. sharp — clever
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. object — to protest
  5. scale — in music
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. scale — size or range
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. object — an aim
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. key — the most important part
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. object — a thing
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pass — a permit

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