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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mine — for digging
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bound — obliged
  9. key — in music
  10. club — for golf
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. key — the most important part
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bound — certain
  15. club — for dancing
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fine — all right
  21. club — a group
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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