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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. vault — a safe
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bound — certain
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bat — the animal
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bound — obliged
  17. plane — a tool
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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