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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. file — a line of people
  3. key — in music
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. file — a document
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. key — the most important part
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. file — a tool
  11. field — farmland
  12. snap — to click
  13. rest — what's left
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rest — a break
  19. field — for sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pound — a weight
  23. field — a subject
  24. key — for a lock

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