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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: vault · drill · patient · chair · wake · last · calf · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. drill — army training
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. last — final
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. last — finally
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. drill — the tool
  15. swing — to play on
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wake — a trail
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. last — to go on
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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