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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. key — in music
  4. clip — a video
  5. shower — rain
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. shower — to wash
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. clip — for paper
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. clip — to cut
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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