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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: foot · mine · season · nail · branch · fan · key · patient

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. key — in music
  3. season — in sport
  4. key — the most important part
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. key — for a lock
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. season — of the year
  21. branch — a division
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. nail — on a finger

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