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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cue — a hint
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ground — crushed
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cue — a signal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mine — for digging
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ground — a position

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