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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. firm — decided
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. firm — steady
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lean — thin
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. land — to come down
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. land — ground
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lean — to bend
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. land — a country
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. firm — a company
  23. perch — the fish
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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