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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rush — hurry
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. club — a group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mug — to rob
  11. club — for golf
  12. last — to go on
  13. band — a ring
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mug — a face
  16. last — final
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. band — a music group
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bulb — for light

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