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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wind — moving air
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. spring — the season
  7. rock — music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rock — a stone
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spring — of water
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. key — in music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. spring — a coil
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rush — hurry

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