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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. last — to go on
  5. roll — a cake
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. file — a document
  10. roll — a list
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. file — a tool
  13. court — for sport
  14. file — a line of people
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. court — of a king
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. last — finally
  19. vault — a safe
  20. snap — to click
  21. court — of law
  22. last — final
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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