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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rush — hurry
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pitcher — a jug

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