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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. key — in music
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. key — the most important part
  9. race — a contest
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mug — a face
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. race — humankind
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. race — the arms race

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