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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rule — a law
  5. key — in music
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bound — certain
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rest — what's left
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. key — the most important part
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rule — government
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rest — a break
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lean — thin
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bat — for baseball

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