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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. season — in sport
  3. cue — a signal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. key — the most important part
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cue — for pool
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. season — of the year
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. kid — child
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. kid — to tease
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. cue — a hint
  19. key — for a lock
  20. last — finally
  21. key — in music
  22. last — final
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. last — to go on

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