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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.

Make a worksheet

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: patient · stick · key · lie · mine · rush · bay · spell

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rush — hurry
  3. spell — letters
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mine — for digging
  14. lie — to recline
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. key — in music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. key — the most important part
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rush — a thrill

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