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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. hand — help
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bound — obliged
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. can — a tin
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bound — certain
  15. can — a tin
  16. object — an aim
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. object — to protest
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. hand — in cards
  22. vault — a safe
  23. object — a thing
  24. patient — a sick person

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