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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 120 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 piece is in a major ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wound — an injury
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. fall — the season
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fall — to drop
  18. game — wild animals
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. suit — to fit
  23. game — a match
  24. wound — an injury

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