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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rash — hasty
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rash — a series
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. current — of water
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rest — what's left
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. current — happening now
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fork — in a road
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. current — electric
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fork — to eat with

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