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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. key — in music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. spell — magic
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cap — of ice
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. spell — letters
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. calf — of the leg
  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