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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. content — happy
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lean — thin
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. swing — music
  19. content — the amount
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. swing — to play on
  22. vault — a safe
  23. drill — army training
  24. lean — to bend

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