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

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. face — to confront
  8. object — to protest
  9. drill — a practice
  10. clip — a video
  11. drill — the tool
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. drill — army training
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bank — for money
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. clip — for paper
  18. object — an aim
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. vault — a safe
  21. object — a thing
  22. face — part of the head
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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