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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rock — a stone
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. hand — help
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. bank — for money
  10. file — a line of people
  11. key — in music
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. file — a document
  16. rock — music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. file — a tool

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