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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. net — after costs
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. object — an aim
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. object — to protest
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. row — to paddle
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. net — for catching
  14. bulb — for light
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. object — a thing
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. vault — a safe
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. net — in sport
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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