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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. club — for dancing
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. fall — the season
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. fall — to drop
  9. club — for golf
  10. fall — to drop
  11. charge — electricity
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. club — a group
  16. file — a document
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. file — a tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. file — a line of people
  24. plane — an aircraft

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