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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pop — soda
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pop — music
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. key — in music
  14. root — of a plant
  15. key — for a lock
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pop — to visit
  20. root — of a word
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. root — the cause
  23. wind — moving air
  24. present — there

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