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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 116 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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468
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: rash · band · calf · clip · vault · fine · patient · pitch

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fine — all right
  3. vault — a safe
  4. band — a music group
  5. clip — to cut
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rash — hasty
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — completely
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. clip — for paper
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rash — a series
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. clip — a video
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. band — a ring
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rash — on the skin

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