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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. cold — not warm
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. file — a tool
  11. key — in music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. file — a document
  14. swing — to play on
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. key — for a lock
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bulb — for light
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. swing — 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