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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lie — to recline
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. swing — in golf
  18. key — in music
  19. cell — a phone
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. cell — in a prison

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