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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wound — an injury
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — a list
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. perch — the fish
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fall — to drop
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. content — the amount
  18. fall — the season
  19. wound — an injury
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fall — to drop
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. content — happy

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