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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. spring — of water
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. spring — the season
  7. track — a path
  8. dip — to sink
  9. foot — a measure
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spring — a coil
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. track — to keep track
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. key — in music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. track — a song

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