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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cap — of ice
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cap — a lid
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. vault — a safe
  8. spell — letters
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pound — a weight
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. game — a match
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. spell — magic
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. game — wild animals

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