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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. charge — in control
  3. cold — not warm
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. charge — electricity
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. charge — a price
  20. cold — an illness
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. perch — the fish
  24. ruler — for measuring

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