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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. key — for a lock
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. degree — temperature
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — not warm
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. kick — in football
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. key — in music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. degree — from a university
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. degree — an amount
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. vault — a safe

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