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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. saw — the tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. key — for a lock
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cap — of ice
  7. saw — the tool
  8. band — a music group
  9. current — happening now
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cap — a hat
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. key — the most important part
  17. band — a ring
  18. key — in music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. cap — a lid
  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