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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. file — a tool
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. key — in music
  9. file — a line of people
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ground — the earth
  12. file — a document
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. key — the most important part
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. scale — in music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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