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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. tube — a container
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. key — for a lock
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. key — in music
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wake — a trail
  16. roll — a list
  17. charge — in control
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. charge — electricity
  20. roll — a cake
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. charge — a price
  24. tube — the underground

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