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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.

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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: wound · bay · present · fork · track · patient · safe · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. present — there
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wound — an injury
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wound — an injury
  10. track — a song
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. present — a gift
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. track — a path
  21. present — the time now
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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