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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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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 · cap · saw · patient · march · object · pit · straw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cap — a hat
  5. march — music
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. object — a thing
  8. pit — in a race
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cap — a lid
  11. object — to protest
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. march — the month
  18. cap — of ice
  19. march — the month
  20. object — an aim
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pit — a hole

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