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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. kick — in football
  6. key — the most important part
  7. shower — rain
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. key — for a lock
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. key — in music
  17. rest — a break
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bass — low music
  24. kick — a thrill

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