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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: toast · patient · rash · object · bass · cap · cold · vault

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cold — an illness
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cold — not warm
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. rash — a series
  13. bass — low music
  14. object — to protest
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. object — a thing
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. object — an aim
  21. cap — of ice
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. toast — bread
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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