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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cap — a hat
  4. key — in music
  5. sharp — clever
  6. spring — the season
  7. bass — the fish
  8. face — to confront
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. face — to point toward
  12. spring — of water
  13. cap — a lid
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. key — the most important part
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bass — low music
  19. spring — a coil
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. cap — of ice

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