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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. key — in music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. last — final
  11. wound — an injury
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. last — to go on
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mine — for digging
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mine — an explosive

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