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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. drill — a practice
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. track — to keep track
  14. kick — in football
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. key — the most important part
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. drill — army training
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. coach — a trainer

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