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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. land — ground
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wake — a trail
  10. tube — a container
  11. land — to come down
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. key — in music
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. land — a country
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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