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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. drill — army training
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. drill — the tool
  5. land — a country
  6. object — a thing
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. key — in music
  10. object — an aim
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. object — to protest
  14. drill — a practice
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. land — to come down
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rock — a stone
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. land — ground
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rock — music
  23. branch — a division
  24. key — for a lock

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