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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. field — a subject
  3. can — a tin
  4. club — for dancing
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lean — to bend
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. field — for sport
  13. band — a music group
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lean — thin
  20. club — for golf
  21. band — a ring
  22. field — farmland
  23. club — a group
  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