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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. key — for a lock
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. hand — help
  18. key — in music
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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