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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. key — for a lock
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ball — a dance
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rest — what's left
  8. key — in music
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rest — a break
  11. wake — a trail
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. root — of a word
  17. can — a tin
  18. key — the most important part
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. root — the cause
  22. wound — an injury
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ball — a round shape

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