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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. board — to get on
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rush — hurry
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spell — magic
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. board — a committee
  15. spell — letters
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. key — for a lock
  19. can — to be able to
  20. key — in music
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bat — the animal

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