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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 120 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: patient · vault · stand · tear · safe · wound · mark · shower

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wound — an injury
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stand — to bear
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mark — a grade
  9. tear — from crying
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. shower — rain
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. shower — to wash
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. stand — for spectators

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