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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. clip — for paper
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — to rob
  9. clip — to cut
  10. firm — a company
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. clip — a video
  13. bank — of a river
  14. firm — decided
  15. mug — a cup
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. capital — money
  18. firm — steady
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bank — for money
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bank — for money
  23. capital — a city
  24. mug — a face

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