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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. board — a committee
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rest — what's left
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rest — what's left
  9. board — to get on
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rest — a break
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pop — to visit
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pop — music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pop — soda
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. vault — a safe
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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