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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. band — a ring
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. band — a music group
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. spell — a short time
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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