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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.

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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. net — after costs
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. net — in sport
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pit — in a race
  24. net — for catching

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