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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. key — for a lock
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. net — for catching
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. drill — army training
  9. kick — in football
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. net — in sport
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. sharp — clever
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. drill — the tool
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. drill — a practice
  23. key — in music
  24. net — after costs

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