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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. last — finally
  7. key — for a lock
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. last — final
  11. bear — the animal
  12. present — the time now
  13. bear — the animal
  14. current — electric
  15. fall — to drop
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. last — to go on
  18. present — a gift
  19. fall — to drop
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. present — there
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fall — the season

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