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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. foot — a measure
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. file — a document
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. present — the time now
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. foot — part of the body

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