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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. file — a line of people
  3. spring — the season
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mark — a grade
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. spring — a coil
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. object — a thing
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a document
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. object — an aim
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. object — to protest
  19. rash — hasty
  20. spring — of water
  21. mark — a trace
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rash — a series
  24. key — the most important part

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