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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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Word bank
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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. can — to be able to
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. can — a tin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. key — the most important part
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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