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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. clip — for paper
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. clip — a video
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wind — moving air
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ground — crushed
  21. clip — to cut
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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