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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. plane — a tool
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. vault — a safe
  20. kid — to tease
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bulb — for light
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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