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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: squash · sharp · kick · key · roll · fall · patient · track

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. track — a path
  3. fall — to drop
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. roll — a list
  6. sharp — clever
  7. key — for a lock
  8. kick — in football
  9. key — in music
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fall — to drop
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. squash — to crush
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. roll — a cake
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. track — a song
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. fall — the season
  20. track — to keep track
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. squash — the sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kick — with a leg

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