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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. vault — a safe
  5. key — in music
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. key — the most important part
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. cue — for pool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cue — a signal
  15. spring — of water
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spell — magic
  20. fork — in a road
  21. spring — the season
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. staff — employees
  24. spring — a coil

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