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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · ruler · key · ball · wake · calf · snap · content

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. key — for a lock
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. snap — to click
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. content — happy
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. content — the amount
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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