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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mate — a friend
  4. key — in music
  5. mate — a partner
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spell — letters
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cue — a hint
  11. key — the most important part
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spell — a short time
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. spring — of water
  18. key — for a lock
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — magic
  23. spring — the season
  24. cue — a signal

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