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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 116 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. key — in music
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. key — the most important part
  5. court — for sport
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. court — of a king
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. court — of law
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. drill — a practice
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. branch — a division
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. lie — to recline
  24. last — to go on

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