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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. row — a line
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bound — tied together
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. key — in music
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bound — obliged
  17. row — to paddle
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bound — certain
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pass — a permit
  23. swing — in golf
  24. patient — a sick person

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