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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. spring — of water
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. key — in music
  13. spring — the season
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. spring — a coil
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rest — a break
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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