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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. craft — a skill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. shower — rain
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. court — of a king
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. shower — to wash
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. key — in music
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. craft — boats

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