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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. key — the most important part
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mine — for digging
  11. key — in music
  12. perch — the fish
  13. kick — in football
  14. race — humankind
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. key — for a lock
  22. race — a contest
  23. bear — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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