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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mate — a partner
  4. present — the time now
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — to protest
  7. mate — to breed
  8. lean — to bend
  9. present — there
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. lean — thin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mine — for digging
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. present — a gift
  18. mate — a friend
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. object — an aim
  21. vault — a safe
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lean — to rest against

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