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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. key — for a lock
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. club — a group
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chip — to eat
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. club — for dancing
  18. key — the most important part
  19. club — for golf
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. chip — for betting
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. key — in music
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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