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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wind — moving air
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cap — a hat
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cap — a lid
  12. key — for a lock
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. scale — in music
  23. key — in music
  24. safe — a strongbox

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