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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mate — a partner
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. board — a committee
  11. rest — what's left
  12. board — to get on
  13. key — in music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rest — a break
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mate — to breed
  22. rest — what's left
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. board — a flat piece

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