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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. key — the most important part
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wind — moving air
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. spell — a short time
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. spell — magic
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. court — for sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. spell — letters
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. key — in music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wake — a trail
  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