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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. season — of the year
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. track — a path
  8. season — in sport
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. object — to protest
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. track — a song
  17. lean — to bend
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lean — thin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cap — of ice
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. key — the most important part

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