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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. key — the most important part
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. chest — of your body
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. plane — a tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chest — of your body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mark — a trace
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. swing — music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. swing — in golf
  16. chest — a box
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. key — in music
  24. root — of a plant

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