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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. content — the amount
  4. pop — soda
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bark — to shout
  9. content — happy
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. vault — a safe
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — a trace
  18. shower — rain
  19. pop — music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mark — a grade
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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