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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 124 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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Word bank
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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pit — a hole
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. key — in music
  12. pit — in a race
  13. deal — to handle
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. snap — to click
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. key — the most important part

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