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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. vault — a safe
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. march — the month
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. march — the month
  13. squash — to crush
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chest — of your body
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. march — music

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