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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fall — to drop
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fall — the season
  5. rule — government
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rule — a law
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fall — to drop
  12. staff — employees
  13. vault — a safe
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. march — the month
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. march — music
  19. pitch — completely
  20. staff — employees
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bowl — a football final

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