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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kick — in football
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. season — in sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. deal — to handle
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cue — for pool
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. season — of the year
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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