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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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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. key — for a lock
  6. staff — employees
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. file — a document
  12. pound — a weight
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. branch — a division
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. present — there

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