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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.

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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: rest · deal · date · bay · file · patient · suit · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rest — what's left
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rest — what's left
  9. key — for a lock
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a document
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rest — a break
  18. suit — in cards
  19. file — a tool
  20. deal — to handle
  21. suit — clothes
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. date — the fruit

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