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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. can — to be able to
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mark — a trace
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. mark — a grade
  12. can — a tin
  13. shower — to wash
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. shower — rain
  22. saw — the tool
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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