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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.

Make a worksheet

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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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hand — help
  6. toast — bread
  7. key — the most important part
  8. row — a line
  9. key — for a lock
  10. fall — the season
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fork — in a road
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. hand — in cards
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fall — to drop
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — a break
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. row — a quarrel

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