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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pop — soda
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pop — to visit
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. deal — to handle
  9. key — in music
  10. land — a country
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pop — music
  24. deal — an agreement

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