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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. current — electric
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. current — of water
  10. key — the most important part
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. key — in music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. current — happening now
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. root — of a plant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. spell — a short time

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