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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. key — in music
  4. kick — in football
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. key — for a lock
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lean — thin
  10. key — the most important part
  11. last — final
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. lean — to bend
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. stock — goods
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stock — shares
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. last — finally
  24. calf — a young animal

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