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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rest — a break
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lean — to bend
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. key — in music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rest — what's left
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. key — the most important part
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. content — happy
  17. ball — a dance
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. content — the amount
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. branch — a division
  24. lean — thin

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