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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: wound · vault · bear · plane · board · swing · patient · dip

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. plane — a tool
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. swing — to play on
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. vault — a safe
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bear — the animal
  23. dip — to sink
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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