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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 120 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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. lean — thin
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rash — hasty
  9. present — the time now
  10. rash — a series
  11. club — for golf
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. present — there
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. net — in sport
  16. club — a group
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. present — a gift
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. net — after costs
  21. club — for dancing
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. net — for catching
  24. patient — a sick person

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