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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 124 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. press — newspapers
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. press — a publisher
  12. hand — help
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. press — to push
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bass — low music
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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