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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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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 · spring · pass · pit · key · wound · chip · lean

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pass — a permit
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pit — a hole
  11. spring — of water
  12. chip — to eat
  13. key — in music
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spring — the season
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lean — thin
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pit — in a race
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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