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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bear — the animal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. club — a group
  5. fall — to drop
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. club — for dancing
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fall — the season
  16. degree — from a university
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bear — the animal
  21. club — for golf
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. degree — temperature

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