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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. last — finally
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. last — to go on
  7. object — a thing
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. last — final
  17. object — to protest
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. key — in music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. present — there
  23. object — an aim
  24. bear — to put up with

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