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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. key — for a lock
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. key — in music
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. key — the most important part
  10. hand — in cards
  11. plane — a tool
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pit — a hole
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. face — to confront
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. game — wild animals
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pit — in a race
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. face — part of the head
  24. patient — a sick person

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