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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fall — to drop
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. mark — a grade
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. key — for a lock
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fall — to drop
  13. key — in music
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fall — the season
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bat — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mark — to pay attention

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