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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. ground — crushed
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bank — for money
  9. current — of water
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ground — a position
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. current — happening now
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. drill — the tool
  21. current — electric
  22. drill — army training
  23. bank — for money
  24. drill — a practice

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