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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 120 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. key — for a lock
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. prune — to trim
  10. key — the most important part
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. key — in music
  14. lean — to bend
  15. band — a music group
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. shower — to wash
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. shower — rain
  20. band — a ring
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lean — thin

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