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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bore — to drill
  3. court — for sport
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. court — of a king
  8. key — in music
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bore — to tire
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. spring — of water
  14. court — of law
  15. key — the most important part
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. key — for a lock
  21. spring — the season
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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