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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. rock — music
  6. suit — clothes
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. key — the most important part
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. dip — to sink
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. march — the month
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rock — a stone
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

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