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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: patient · vault · date · craft · staff · hide

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. vault — a safe
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. craft — a skill
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. craft — boats
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. date — on the calendar

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