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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. last — to go on
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. tube — a container
  11. last — final
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chest — of your body
  14. key — in music
  15. last — finally
  16. squash — the sport
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. squash — to crush
  19. tube — the underground
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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