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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. file — a line of people
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. key — the most important part
  8. chair — a leader
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. file — a tool
  11. key — for a lock
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. file — a document
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chair — a professorship

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