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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · cold · leaves · key · track · safe · mark · bore

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cold — an illness
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. key — in music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. key — for a lock
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bore — to tire
  15. track — a path
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cold — not warm
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. track — a song
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bore — gave birth

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