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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.

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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. chest — of your body
  5. key — in music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. root — the cause
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chest — a box
  16. cell — a phone
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cap — a hat
  20. root — of a word
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. key — for a lock
  24. chest — of your body

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