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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. capital — money
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rest — what's left
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. capital — a city
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. key — in music
  18. file — a tool
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  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