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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pit — a hole
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fine — all right
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. content — the amount
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. content — happy
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pit — in a race
  24. patient — a sick person

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