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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.

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 · squash · last · key · present · row · suit · drill

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. suit — to fit
  5. key — for a lock
  6. suit — in cards
  7. present — the time now
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — in music
  12. row — a line
  13. drill — the tool
  14. present — there
  15. last — final
  16. drill — army training
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. suit — clothes
  19. squash — the sport
  20. key — the most important part
  21. row — to paddle
  22. squash — to crush
  23. drill — a practice
  24. patient — a sick person

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