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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 116 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. snap — to click
  9. bark — to shout
  10. vault — a safe
  11. last — finally
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. last — to go on
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rock — a stone
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pass — a permit
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rest — a break
  22. rock — music
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. last — final

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