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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. club — for golf
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lean — thin
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. key — in music
  12. club — a group
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mate — a partner
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bat — the animal
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. key — for a lock
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. roll — a list
  23. club — for dancing
  24. roll — a cake

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