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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. root — of a word
  6. object — an aim
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. root — the cause
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rash — hasty
  11. root — of a plant
  12. present — the time now
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. shower — rain
  15. board — to get on
  16. object — to protest
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. vault — a safe
  21. object — a thing
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rash — a series
  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