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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. hand — in cards
  3. vault — a safe
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hand — help
  6. squash — to crush
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rock — a stone
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. lie — to recline
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rock — music
  23. spell — letters
  24. pound — for dogs

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