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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. kid — child
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. march — music
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. kid — to tease
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. march — the month
  21. band — a ring
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. vault — a safe
  24. band — a music group

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