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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: wind · vault · patient · chip · clip · suit

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. suit — clothes
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. vault — a safe
  10. chip — to eat
  11. clip — to cut
  12. chip — for betting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wind — moving air
  16. clip — a video
  17. wind — moving air
  18. suit — to fit

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