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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.

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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fall — the season
  6. mark — a trace
  7. vault — a safe
  8. can — a tin
  9. lie — to recline
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. field — farmland
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. fall — to drop
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cue — a signal
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mark — to pay attention

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