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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. key — for a lock
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lie — to recline
  7. firm — decided
  8. shower — rain
  9. land — a country
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fall — the season
  12. shower — to wash
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. firm — steady
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. land — ground
  21. key — in music
  22. firm — a company
  23. land — to come down
  24. fall — to drop

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