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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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Word bank
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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: key · spring · deal · row · lie · squash · racket · patient

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. deal — to handle
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. row — to paddle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. row — a line
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. key — for a lock
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. spring — of water
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lie — to recline
  20. squash — the sport
  21. spring — the season
  22. key — the most important part
  23. squash — to crush
  24. spring — a coil

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