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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: trunk · ruler · vault · patient · date · hide

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. date — the fruit
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. vault — a safe
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. ruler — a monarch

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