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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: bore · cabinet · sharp · shower · scale · bay · key · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. key — for a lock
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bore — to tire
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. scale — in music
  16. key — in music
  17. bore — to drill
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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