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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. mark — a grade
  3. band — a music group
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. object — to protest
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fine — all right
  20. band — a ring
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fine — high quality
  23. object — a thing
  24. fine — a penalty

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