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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stock — shares
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. file — a line of people
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lean — thin
  10. file — a document
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lean — to bend
  15. file — a tool
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. stock — goods
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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