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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: key · rash · fan · stick · fine · patient · dip · bat

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bat — the animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — a series
  14. key — in music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. key — the most important part
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. key — for a lock
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fine — all right
  24. bat — for baseball

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