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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bound — tied together
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bound — certain
  10. swing — in golf
  11. key — in music
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. key — for a lock
  14. swing — music
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. swing — to play on
  18. kick — in football
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bear — the animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. drill — army training

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