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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cue — for pool
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cue — a hint
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. branch — a division
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cue — a signal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bulb — for light
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wave — of the sea

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