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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. content — the amount
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. cap — a lid
  17. content — happy
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rush — hurry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rush — a thrill

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