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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pound — a weight
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. suit — in cards
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. suit — clothes
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rush — hurry
  16. tube — a container
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. suit — to fit
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cabinet — ministers

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