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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: suit · vault · stock · wave · patient · lean · march · fall

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. suit — in cards
  5. fall — the season
  6. stock — shares
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. stock — goods
  10. lean — to bend
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. march — the month
  17. lean — thin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. suit — to fit
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wave — with your hand

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