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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. last — final
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. last — to go on
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. last — finally
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. key — in music
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bay — a horse colour

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