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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rest — what's left
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. mate — a friend
  13. plane — a tool
  14. kid — child
  15. mate — to breed
  16. kid — to tease
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mate — a partner
  19. press — newspapers
  20. field — for sport
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. plane — in geometry

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