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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 so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rule — a law
  8. vault — a safe
  9. drill — a practice
  10. tear — from crying
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. tear — to rip
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. dip — to sink
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mouse — for a computer

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