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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. club — for golf
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. can — a tin
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hand — in cards
  16. clip — to cut
  17. key — for a lock
  18. club — a group
  19. can — a tin
  20. hand — help
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. club — for dancing
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. can — to be able to

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