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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bound — certain
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. tube — a container
  7. lean — thin
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lean — to bend
  13. prune — to trim
  14. board — a committee
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. board — to get on
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. tube — the underground
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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