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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. file — a tool
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bound — obliged
  7. spring — the season
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bound — certain
  12. file — a document
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. file — a line of people
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. sharp — clever
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bound — tied together
  24. arm — part of the body

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