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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bulb — for light
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. content — the amount
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. key — in music
  9. content — happy
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. plane — a tool
  14. root — the cause
  15. key — for a lock
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rest — a break
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. root — of a plant
  21. saw — the tool
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. saw — the tool
  24. root — of a word

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