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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 116 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rock — a stone
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. content — the amount
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. sharp — clever
  16. content — happy
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. key — in music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rock — music
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. key — the most important part

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