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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. key — in music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. key — for a lock
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rush — hurry
  16. root — the cause
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. roll — a cake
  20. mine — for digging
  21. roll — a list
  22. root — of a word
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wake — a trail

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