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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mine — for digging
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. row — a line
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. march — the month
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. court — of a king
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. march — the month
  13. court — of law
  14. march — music
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. object — an aim
  17. key — for a lock
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. court — for sport
  24. key — in music

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