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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. firm — decided
  5. press — to push
  6. mine — for digging
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. firm — a company
  10. press — newspapers
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. press — a publisher
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. firm — steady
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wound — an injury
  24. calf — of the leg

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