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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 120 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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wind — moving air
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. scale — size or range
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. sharp — clever
  15. scale — in music
  16. can — a tin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. plane — an aircraft

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