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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bass — low music
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bass — the fish
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. vault — a safe
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. leaves — lets stay

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