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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tear — to rip
  5. firm — decided
  6. key — the most important part
  7. spring — of water
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. firm — steady
  12. tear — from crying
  13. spring — the season
  14. tear — from crying
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. spring — a coil
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. firm — a company
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. key — in music

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