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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: march · cabinet · vault · date · mine · fan · patient · stick

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. march — the month
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mine — for digging
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. march — music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. march — the month

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