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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rash — hasty
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. drill — the tool
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kick — in football
  13. saw — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. drill — army training
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rash — a series
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rash — on the skin

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