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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pop — to visit
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pop — soda
  9. mug — to rob
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mug — a cup
  15. pop — music
  16. pit — a hole
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mug — a face
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pit — in a race
  24. deal — an agreement

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