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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. capital — a city
  10. key — in music
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pop — soda
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. spring — a coil
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. capital — money

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