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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cap — a lid
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. roll — a list
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. ball — a dance
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. ball — a great time
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cap — of ice
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cap — a hat
  24. hide — animal skin

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