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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. chest — a box
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. vault — a safe
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. face — to confront
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bear — the animal
  14. file — a document
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bear — the animal
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. file — a tool
  19. face — to point toward
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. file — a line of people
  22. chest — of your body
  23. face — part of the head
  24. racket — for tennis

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