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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mug — to rob
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ground — a position
  5. mug — a face
  6. object — a thing
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mug — a cup
  10. ground — crushed
  11. object — to protest
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mark — a trace
  14. object — an aim
  15. cap — a lid
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kid — to tease
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. kid — child

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