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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. root — of a word
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. can — a tin
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mug — to rob
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. root — of a plant
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. can — a tin
  23. root — the cause
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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