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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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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. key — the most important part
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. plane — a tool
  6. swing — music
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. key — for a lock
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. swing — in golf
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. degree — an amount
  19. key — in music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wake — a trail

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