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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · wind · patient · vault · march · racket

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. march — music
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. vault — a safe
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. march — the month
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. march — the month
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. racket — for tennis

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