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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. fine — high quality
  6. swing — music
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. fine — all right
  10. swing — in golf
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. swing — to play on

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