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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 116 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — size or range
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. vault — a safe
  14. fine — all right
  15. shower — to wash
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. scale — in music
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lean — thin
  24. fine — a penalty

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