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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. squash — the sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. scale — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. row — to paddle
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. key — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wound — an injury
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. ball — a great time
  20. row — a line
  21. squash — to crush
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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