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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wind — moving air
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cue — a hint
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. key — in music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cabinet — ministers

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