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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: lean · cabinet · pop · hand · calf · wound · mouse · key

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. key — for a lock
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lean — to bend
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. key — in music
  9. hand — help
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pop — music
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lean — thin

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