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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 124 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. scale — in music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. clip — a video
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. clip — to cut
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. clip — for paper
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bark — to shout
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. scale — size or range

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