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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. face — to point toward
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. object — an aim
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. face — part of the head
  10. branch — a division
  11. object — a thing
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. drill — a practice
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. face — to confront
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

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