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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. present — a gift
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. root — of a word
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. root — of a plant
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. object — to protest
  17. key — in music
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. present — there
  21. band — a music group
  22. root — the cause
  23. band — a ring
  24. present — the time now

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