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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rest — a break
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cue — a hint
  13. key — for a lock
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cue — a signal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. key — in music
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mate — to breed
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cue — for pool
  24. key — the most important part

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