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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: file · content · can · kick · patient · last · key · tear

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. can — to be able to
  3. key — the most important part
  4. tear — from crying
  5. key — for a lock
  6. last — final
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. content — happy
  11. can — a tin
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. last — to go on
  14. key — in music
  15. content — the amount
  16. can — a tin
  17. file — a line of people
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. last — finally
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. file — a tool

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