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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 120 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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spring — the season
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. vault — a safe
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lie — to recline
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rule — a law
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rule — government
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. spring — of water
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. prune — the fruit

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