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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ball — a great time
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. tear — from crying
  5. field — a subject
  6. ball — a dance
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. field — farmland
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. key — for a lock
  19. lean — to bend
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. tear — from crying
  24. field — for sport

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