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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bark — to shout
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fall — the season
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. key — in music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mate — a friend
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fall — to drop
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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