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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 120 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. plane — a tool
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. kick — in football
  5. lie — to recline
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. snap — to click
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. drill — a practice
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. key — for a lock
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. drill — army training
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bowl — to roll

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