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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. season — of the year
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. season — in sport
  11. march — the month
  12. bass — low music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. march — the month
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. march — music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — to paddle
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. row — a line
  24. bass — the fish

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