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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. key — in music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. key — the most important part
  6. swing — to play on
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. swing — music
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. roll — a cake
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. swing — in golf
  19. roll — a list
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pass — a permit
  24. patient — a sick person

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