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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. band — a music group
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cap — of ice
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fall — the season
  14. present — there
  15. cap — a lid
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. present — a gift
  22. band — a ring
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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