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

Word bank: patient · last · cell · vault · mouse · safe

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cell — in biology
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cell — a phone
  11. last — finally
  12. vault — a safe
  13. last — to go on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. safe — out of danger

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