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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. key — the most important part
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. key — in music
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bound — certain
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bound — obliged
  20. key — for a lock
  21. drill — army training
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. drill — the tool

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