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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: hand · patient · dip · date · season · mug · key · wind

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — for a lock
  12. date — the fruit
  13. key — the most important part
  14. hand — in cards
  15. season — of the year
  16. mug — a face
  17. key — in music
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wind — moving air
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hand — help
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. season — in sport

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