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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. squash — the sport
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. prune — to trim
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bank — for money
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. vault — a safe
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. prune — to trim
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. prune — the fruit

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