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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wake — a trail
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. staff — employees
  14. object — to protest
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. staff — a stick
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. staff — employees
  23. wound — an injury
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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