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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. drill — army training
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fall — to drop
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. clip — a video
  12. object — to protest
  13. fall — to drop
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fall — the season
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. drill — the tool
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. drill — a practice
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. object — a thing
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. clip — for paper

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