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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. file — a tool
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lean — thin
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lean — to bend
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. cell — a phone
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. foot — a measure
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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