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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. march — music
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. row — a line
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wind — moving air
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. row — to paddle
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. march — the month
  21. wind — moving air
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. march — the month
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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