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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. fall — the season
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rash — hasty
  4. drill — a practice
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rash — a series
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. club — for golf
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. club — a group
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. root — of a word
  20. drill — the tool
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wind — moving air
  23. drill — army training
  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