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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. board — a committee
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. spring — a coil
  10. board — to get on
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. vault — a safe
  13. spring — the season
  14. cue — a hint
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. tear — from crying
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. tear — from crying
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. spring — of water
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. tear — to rip
  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