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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. key — the most important part
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rash — a series
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. key — in music
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rash — hasty
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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