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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: clip · patient · cell · bank · charge · vault · calf · fine

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. clip — to cut
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. charge — a price
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bank — for money
  14. charge — in control
  15. fine — all right
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. charge — electricity
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. clip — a video
  22. bank — of a river
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. cell — in a prison

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