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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. roll — a list
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. roll — a cake
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cap — a hat
  11. vault — a safe
  12. stock — shares
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cap — of ice
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wake — a trail
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stock — goods
  23. cap — a lid
  24. calf — a young animal

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