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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 116 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mine — for digging
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. hand — in cards
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. key — the most important part
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. dip — to sink
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. key — for a lock
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. key — in music
  22. hand — help
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. nail — for a hammer

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