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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. key — for a lock
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. key — the most important part
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pit — in a race
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. key — in music
  12. roll — a list
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. roll — a cake
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cue — a signal
  22. net — in sport
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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