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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fine · patient · foot · wind · track · plane · rash · key

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. plane — a tool
  3. key — the most important part
  4. track — a path
  5. rash — a series
  6. key — in music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fine — all right
  9. track — a song
  10. rash — hasty
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. key — for a lock
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wind — moving air
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. foot — the bottom

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