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

Word bank: club · vault · calf · key · wind · bark · deal · safe

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. club — a group
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. club — for dancing
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bark — to shout
  12. key — in music
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. club — for golf
  19. key — for a lock
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. wind — moving air

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