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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: sharp · vault · band · ball · patient · arm · wind · bore

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. band — a ring
  5. bore — to tire
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. ball — a dance
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wind — moving air
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. band — a music group
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ball — a great time
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bore — to drill

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