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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. board — to get on
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rest — what's left
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bulb — for light
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rush — hurry
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bulb — for light
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. board — a committee
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rest — a break
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. trunk — of a car

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