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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. key — the most important part
  3. current — of water
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bark — to shout
  7. current — electric
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fine — all right
  13. spring — the season
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. key — for a lock
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. key — in music
  20. current — happening now
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. fine — a penalty

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