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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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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: key · patient · bark · rash · bat · stand · kick · bay

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. stand — to bear
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. key — in music
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bark — to shout
  19. kick — in football
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bat — the animal

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