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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
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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 · patient · lie · spring · dip · drill · pass · mark

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lie — to recline
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. drill — army training
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. drill — the tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pass — a permit
  15. key — the most important part
  16. drill — a practice
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mark — a grade
  22. key — in music
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pass — to succeed

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