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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pop — music
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. key — in music
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. roll — a list

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