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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bound — certain
  6. staff — employees
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bound — obliged
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. key — the most important part
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. staff — a stick
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bound — tied together
  22. staff — employees
  23. key — in music
  24. branch — of a bank

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