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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. key — the most important part
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. season — in sport
  8. key — in music
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pop — to visit
  11. season — of the year
  12. pop — music
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. sharp — clever
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pop — soda
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bass — the fish
  24. straw — dry grass

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