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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. spring — of water
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wound — an injury
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fork — in a road
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. spring — the season
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rest — a break
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. vault — a safe
  24. spring — a coil

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