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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 · bass · lash · chip · vault · board · cue · fall

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cue — a hint
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. board — to get on
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cue — a signal
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bass — low music
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. board — a committee
  24. cue — for pool

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