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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.

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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. key — for a lock
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. key — the most important part
  6. chair — a leader
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pass — a permit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. drill — a practice
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. key — in music
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. drill — army training

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