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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. key — the most important part
  3. scale — in music
  4. key — in music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pitch — completely
  11. scale — size or range
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. key — for a lock
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. shower — rain
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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