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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. key — the most important part
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. root — the cause
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. land — ground
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. land — to come down
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. root — of a plant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rock — music
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. key — in music
  21. root — of a word
  22. land — a country
  23. rock — a stone
  24. patient — a sick person

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