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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. object — to protest
  3. rock — a stone
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pit — a hole
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. season — in sport
  13. key — the most important part
  14. saw — the tool
  15. object — an aim
  16. rock — music
  17. bound — certain
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pit — in a race
  20. season — of the year
  21. bound — tied together
  22. key — for a lock
  23. object — a thing
  24. calf — of the leg

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