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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: chest · key · patient · safe · ball · tear · racket · fan

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. chest — a box
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ball — a dance
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chest — of your body
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. chest — of your body
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. tear — to rip
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. key — for a lock
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. key — in music
  24. fan — a supporter

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