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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stock — shares
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. stock — goods
  7. current — electric
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. tube — the underground
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. tube — a container
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wound — an injury

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