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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.

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: bound · jam · lash · kid · key · bat · patient · march

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. march — the month
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. march — the month
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kid — to tease
  12. march — music
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. key — in music
  15. bound — obliged
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bound — tied together
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. kid — child
  23. bound — certain
  24. jam — a tight spot

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