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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. firm — decided
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. firm — steady
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cold — not warm
  14. land — to come down
  15. roll — a list
  16. land — ground
  17. vault — a safe
  18. roll — a cake
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. firm — a company
  21. cold — an illness
  22. land — a country
  23. sharp — clever
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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