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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · calf · bay · court · drill · lie

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. court — of a king
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. court — of law
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. key — in music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. court — for sport
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lie — an untruth

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