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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. game — wild animals
  4. land — to come down
  5. cap — a hat
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. land — a country
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cap — of ice
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. land — ground
  19. cap — a lid
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. scale — in music
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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