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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: bore · pit · bark · patient · vault · cell

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bark — to shout
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cell — in biology
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pit — a hole

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