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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. key — the most important part
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. last — final
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. key — in music
  9. craft — boats
  10. can — a tin
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. last — to go on
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. craft — a skill
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. can — a tin
  21. key — for a lock
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. can — to be able to
  24. kick — in football

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