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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bound — obliged
  4. foot — a measure
  5. lean — to bend
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wake — a trail
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. charge — electricity
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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