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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. key — for a lock
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pop — soda
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. key — in music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. key — the most important part
  24. deal — an agreement

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