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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. vault — a safe
  4. lean — thin
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lean — to bend
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tube — a container
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. scale — in music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. scale — size or range

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