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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. charge — a price
  3. key — the most important part
  4. lean — thin
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. capital — a city
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wake — a trail
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. capital — money
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bat — the animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. charge — in control
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lean — to bend
  22. key — in music
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. wake — before a funeral

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