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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mate — to breed
  3. drill — the tool
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. drill — army training
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mate — a friend
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. present — the time now
  10. snap — to click
  11. drill — a practice
  12. present — there
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. key — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mate — a partner
  19. scale — in music
  20. rush — hurry
  21. key — for a lock
  22. scale — size or range
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — a gift

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