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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. last — finally
  9. suit — to fit
  10. last — final
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. last — to go on
  13. fine — high quality
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bat — the animal
  16. suit — clothes
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. wind — to turn a key

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