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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. row — to paddle
  5. swing — music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. board — to get on
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. swing — in golf
  13. board — a committee
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. tear — from crying
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mark — a trace
  22. tear — to rip
  23. swing — to play on
  24. key — for a lock

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