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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. club — for golf
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. saw — the tool
  6. season — in sport
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. club — a group
  23. bat — the animal
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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