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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cue — a hint
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bear — the animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. spring — the season
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cue — for pool
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. face — to point toward
  24. spring — of water

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