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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pound — a weight
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. key — for a lock
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bank — for money
  10. spring — the season
  11. vault — a safe
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bank — of a river
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bank — for money
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. key — in music
  22. spring — of water
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. patient — a sick person

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