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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rest — what's left
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. key — the most important part
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. key — for a lock
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. key — in music
  12. rest — a break
  13. shower — rain
  14. object — a thing
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rest — what's left
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. object — to protest
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. object — an aim

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