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

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. key — the most important part
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mine — for digging
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce

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