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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.

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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mark — a grade
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. key — in music
  8. mark — a trace
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chest — a box
  12. clip — a video
  13. key — for a lock
  14. chest — of your body
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. stand — to bear
  17. clip — for paper
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. key — the most important part

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