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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — for a lock
  3. row — to paddle
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. row — a line
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rock — music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spring — the season
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pass — a permit
  19. key — in music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. row — a quarrel

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