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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. season — in sport
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rash — hasty
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. season — of the year
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rash — a series
  11. key — for a lock
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. key — in music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — to shout
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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