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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. key — the most important part
  3. can — a tin
  4. fall — the season
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — a short time
  7. current — happening now
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. spell — letters
  10. key — in music
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. can — a tin
  14. pop — music
  15. can — to be able to
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pop — to visit
  18. spell — magic
  19. fall — to drop
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fall — to drop
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. pop — soda

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