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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. squash — to crush
  11. spring — of water
  12. kid — to tease
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pop — music
  15. kid — child
  16. key — in music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spring — the season
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. spring — a coil
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pop — to visit
  24. key — for a lock

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