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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wound — an injury
  5. tear — from crying
  6. charge — electricity
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. charge — a price
  9. capital — a city
  10. charge — in control
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. tear — from crying
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. capital — money
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wound — an injury
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. tear — to rip

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