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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. prune — to trim
  5. shower — to wash
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. shower — rain
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tube — the underground
  11. key — in music
  12. field — farmland
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. prune — to trim
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. key — for a lock
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. tube — a container
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. prune — the fruit

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