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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. suit — clothes
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. clip — for paper
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bound — obliged
  11. row — a line
  12. bound — certain
  13. key — for a lock
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. clip — to cut
  16. key — the most important part
  17. clip — a video
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bound — tied together
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. suit — in cards
  24. toast — bread

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