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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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wound — an injury
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. key — the most important part
  6. fine — high quality
  7. race — a contest
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — in music
  10. rock — music
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. can — a tin
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. rock — a stone
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fine — all right
  20. key — for a lock
  21. can — a tin
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wound — an injury

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