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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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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 · rule · ground · leaves · sharp · cap · fan · key

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ground — crushed
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rule — a law
  8. cap — a lid
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rule — government
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ground — the earth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. key — for a lock
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. ground — a position
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cap — of ice

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