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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pop — music
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pitch — completely
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. key — the most important part
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. key — in music
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pop — soda
  24. key — for a lock

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