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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mark · calf · ball · deal · lean · bat · wound · key

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. lean — thin
  6. key — for a lock
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. key — the most important part
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wound — an injury
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. ball — a great time
  19. key — in music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mark — a trace
  24. calf — a young animal

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