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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cap — a lid
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. object — to protest
  14. pop — music
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cap — a hat
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. object — an aim
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cap — of ice
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. object — a thing

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