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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. firm — decided
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. spell — letters
  6. vault — a safe
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. firm — a company
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. firm — steady
  18. rash — a series
  19. spell — a short time
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spell — magic
  23. mouse — the animal
  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