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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. land — to come down
  5. degree — from a university
  6. staff — employees
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. land — ground
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. degree — an amount
  17. swing — to play on
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. vault — a safe
  20. degree — temperature
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. land — a country
  23. lie — to recline
  24. staff — a stick

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