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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. drill — a practice
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. key — the most important part
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. spell — letters
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. drill — army training
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pit — a hole
  24. drill — the tool

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