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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. clip — a video
  8. row — to paddle
  9. deal — to handle
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pit — a hole
  12. clip — for paper
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. clip — to cut
  16. row — a line
  17. key — in music
  18. pit — in a race
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rash — a series
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rash — hasty
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ruler — a monarch

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