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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. vault — a safe
  3. kid — child
  4. fine — all right
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. craft — boats
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. craft — a skill
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. branch — a division
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fine — high quality
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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