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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 · suit · calf · content · present · vault

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. suit — clothes
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. present — the time now
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. present — a gift
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. present — there
  18. patient — a sick person

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