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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mine — for digging
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fine — all right
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mate — a partner
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mate — a friend
  18. vault — a safe
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mate — to breed
  21. kid — child
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fine — a penalty

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