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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bat — the animal
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. chair — a leader
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mine — for digging

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