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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. vault — a safe
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. content — happy
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. saw — the tool
  14. court — of law
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. leaves — to go away

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