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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
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: key · lean · march · tube · cell · cue · patient · game

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. key — the most important part
  3. lean — to bend
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. march — music
  7. cell — a phone
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. tube — a container
  12. march — the month
  13. cue — a signal
  14. lean — thin
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. game — a match
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — in biology
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. march — the month
  24. tube — the underground

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