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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. last — finally
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. suit — in cards
  15. tube — a container
  16. suit — to fit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. tube — the underground

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