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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. face — to confront
  5. march — the month
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. march — music
  8. vault — a safe
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bore — to drill
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. key — the most important part
  17. march — the month
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. key — for a lock
  20. dip — to sink
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. key — in music
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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