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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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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 · wound · rush · pit · staff · leaves · key · patient

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. staff — employees
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. staff — employees
  7. key — the most important part
  8. staff — a stick
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fine — all right
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. key — in music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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