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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. track — to keep track
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. key — in music
  5. tear — to rip
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. track — a path
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tear — from crying
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mate — to breed
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. key — the most important part
  17. track — a song
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mate — a friend
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mate — a partner
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. key — for a lock

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