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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cap — of ice
  5. present — there
  6. bore — to drill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. snap — to click
  9. present — a gift
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. object — a thing
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. object — an aim
  15. cap — a hat
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cap — a lid
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. object — to protest
  21. present — the time now
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bore — to tire

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