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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. key — in music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. row — a line
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bass — low music
  7. pass — a permit
  8. row — to paddle
  9. hand — in cards
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. key — for a lock
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bound — obliged
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. hand — help

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