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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: rush · rest · snap · fan · patient · stick · trunk · vault

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rush — hurry
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rest — what's left
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rest — a break
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. snap — to click
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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