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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. key — for a lock
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. face — to confront
  8. row — to paddle
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wind — moving air
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. kid — child
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. face — to point toward
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wind — moving air
  17. key — in music
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. face — part of the head
  23. kid — to tease
  24. key — the most important part

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