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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 116 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cell — a phone
  3. suit — clothes
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. net — after costs
  9. suit — in cards
  10. net — in sport
  11. capital — a city
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cell — in biology
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. net — for catching
  18. vault — a safe
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. plane — a tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. capital — money

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