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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. key — the most important part
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mug — a face
  5. key — in music
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fine — high quality
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cold — an illness
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cold — not warm
  24. fine — all right

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