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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. key — for a lock
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. key — in music
  6. toast — bread
  7. fine — high quality
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. land — ground
  13. root — the cause
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. fine — all right
  17. root — of a word
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. root — of a plant
  24. key — the most important part

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