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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. craft — boats
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. row — to paddle
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pass — a permit
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. row — a line
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. vault — a safe
  24. row — a quarrel

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