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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. net — for catching
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. march — the month
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. march — the month
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. march — music

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