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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: stick · squash · cell · patient · vault · bank

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. squash — to crush
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cell — a phone
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bank — for money
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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