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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. shower — rain
  4. season — in sport
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. shower — to wash
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mate — to breed
  10. tube — the underground
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. season — of the year
  16. tube — a container
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mate — a partner
  20. vault — a safe
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. game — a kind of play

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