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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. drill — army training
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. drill — the tool
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pass — a permit
  17. lie — to recline
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. vault — a safe
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. drill — a practice

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