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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.

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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — not warm
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. key — in music
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pit — a hole
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. key — for a lock
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. stand — to bear
  24. saw — the tool

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