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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. key — the most important part
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bank — for money
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. net — in sport
  9. tube — a container
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bank — of a river
  13. key — for a lock
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bank — for money
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rash — a series
  24. key — in music

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