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

Word bank: tube · wind · clip · squash · patient · key · cell · saw

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wind — moving air
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. clip — a video
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. clip — for paper
  9. saw — the tool
  10. squash — the sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cell — in biology
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cell — a phone
  17. tube — a container
  18. key — in music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. clip — to cut
  21. key — for a lock
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. key — the most important part
  24. patient — a sick person

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