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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 116 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: tear · land · scale · leaves · key · season · dip · patient

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. land — to come down
  3. tear — to rip
  4. land — ground
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. key — the most important part
  8. land — a country
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. tear — from crying
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. scale — size or range
  16. season — in sport
  17. tear — from crying
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. scale — in music
  22. dip — to sink
  23. key — for a lock
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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