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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. can — a tin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. kick — in football
  11. can — to be able to
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stem — to come from
  14. spring — of water
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — a tin
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. spring — the season
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. spring — a coil
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

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