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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. hand — help
  3. tube — a container
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cue — for pool
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cue — a hint
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mine — for digging
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — a safe
  24. tube — in a tire

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