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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 · tear · cell · straw · vault · ball

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cell — in biology
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. tear — to rip
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cell — a phone
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. tear — from crying

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