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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. key — in music
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rule — a law
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rest — what's left
  8. key — the most important part
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. key — for a lock
  12. season — of the year
  13. rest — what's left
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. season — in sport
  24. nail — on a finger

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