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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. key — the most important part
  2. wound — an injury
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bank — of a river
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. key — in music
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bank — for money
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wound — an injury
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. key — for a lock

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