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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mate — a partner
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mate — to breed
  10. present — a gift
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. vault — a safe
  14. present — there
  15. mate — a friend
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — a coil
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spring — the season

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