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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. vault — a safe
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wind — moving air
  6. suit — in cards
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. face — to point toward
  11. snap — to click
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. suit — clothes
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. suit — to fit
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. face — to confront
  24. dip — a sauce

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