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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: vault · rest · snap · trunk · saw · patient · deal · sharp

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rest — what's left
  3. vault — a safe
  4. saw — the tool
  5. snap — to click
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. saw — the tool
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. deal — to handle
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rest — what's left
  20. sharp — clever
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rest — a break

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