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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. dip — to sink
  5. key — for a lock
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wake — a trail
  12. sharp — clever
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. row — to paddle
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. row — a line
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. stem — to come from
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stem — of a plant

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