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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 120 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: kick · key · club · patient · mark · tube · wound · saw

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. club — a group
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kick — in football
  6. mark — a trace
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tube — a container
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — in music
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tube — the underground
  14. club — for golf
  15. wound — an injury
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wound — an injury
  19. club — for dancing
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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