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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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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bank — for money
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bank — of a river
  5. chest — of your body
  6. key — in music
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bank — for money
  14. mark — a trace
  15. chest — a box
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. chest — of your body
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — a price
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mark — a grade
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stem — to come from

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