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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rush — hurry
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cold — an illness
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. hand — help
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cold — not warm
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. key — in music
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. key — for a lock
  22. hand — in cards
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. hand — part of the body

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