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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. key — the most important part
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. key — in music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. kick — in football
  9. hand — in cards
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. spell — letters
  15. ground — crushed
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. spell — magic
  18. mate — a partner
  19. key — for a lock
  20. hand — help
  21. mate — to breed
  22. spell — a short time
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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