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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spell — letters
  4. degree — temperature
  5. stand — to bear
  6. spell — magic
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. board — a committee
  9. vault — a safe
  10. chip — to eat
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. spell — a short time
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. degree — from a university
  22. lie — to recline
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. board — to get on

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