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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. can — a tin
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. can — a tin
  8. chair — a leader
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. can — to be able to
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. key — in music
  22. current — of water
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fan — to cool the air

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