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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lean — thin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wind — moving air
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. plane — a tool
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. key — in music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lean — to bend

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