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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. drill — the tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. perch — the fish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. key — for a lock
  10. tear — to rip
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — army training
  17. board — a committee
  18. face — to confront
  19. board — to get on
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tear — from crying
  22. key — in music
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. face — part of the head

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