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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. key — in music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. scale — in music
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. key — the most important part
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bulb — for light
  18. scale — size or range
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bound — tied together
  23. branch — a division
  24. wound — an injury

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