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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. tear — to rip
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. key — in music
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. saw — the tool
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. key — for a lock

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