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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 124 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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 — past of 'wind'
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wound — an injury
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rock — a stone
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. key — in music
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wound — an injury
  22. snap — to click
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. calf — a young animal

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