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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. staff — employees
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rock — music
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. staff — employees
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. march — music
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. key — the most important part
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bear — the animal
  13. toast — bread
  14. key — in music
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. dip — to sink
  18. march — the month
  19. key — for a lock
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bear — the animal
  24. march — the month

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