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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 124 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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. root — the cause
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. ball — a great time
  6. key — for a lock
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. key — in music
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. last — to go on
  13. bear — the animal
  14. last — final
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. last — finally
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. root — of a word
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. root — of a plant
  24. calf — a young animal

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