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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hand — help
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hand — in cards
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cold — an illness
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cold — not warm
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. vault — a safe
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rock — a stone
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rock — music
  24. rush — hurry

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