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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kick — in football
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bulb — for light
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. key — the most important part
  12. board — a committee
  13. mark — a trace
  14. key — in music
  15. degree — from a university
  16. mark — a grade
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. degree — temperature
  21. last — final
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. degree — an amount
  24. board — to get on

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