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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. roll — a cake
  10. season — of the year
  11. rule — government
  12. roll — a list
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. vault — a safe
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. scale — in music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rule — a law
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. kid — to tease

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