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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fine — all right
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cap — a hat
  10. can — a tin
  11. cap — a lid
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cap — of ice
  14. can — a tin
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mate — to breed
  17. content — the amount
  18. mate — a partner
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cold — an illness
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. fine — high quality

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