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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. game — wild animals
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — a match
  8. chest — a box
  9. mine — for digging
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. chest — of your body
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mate — to breed

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