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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pop — music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pop — soda
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. sharp — clever
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lean — thin
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lean — to bend
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pitcher — a jug

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