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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fall — the season
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pop — music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fall — to drop
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pop — to visit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. deal — to handle
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. court — of law
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pop — soda
  24. key — in music

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