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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cap — a lid
  3. key — in music
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. march — the month
  6. rash — a series
  7. lean — to bend
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rash — hasty
  11. march — the month
  12. ball — a dance
  13. march — music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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