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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. march — the month
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. prune — to trim
  7. march — music
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fork — in a road
  10. suit — clothes
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. march — the month

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