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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mine — for digging
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. file — a line of people
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. saw — the tool
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. key — for a lock
  18. file — a tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. file — a document
  23. court — for sport
  24. mine — an explosive

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