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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: patient · vault · sharp · row · root · hand · rest · cabinet

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. root — the cause
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. root — of a word
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. sharp — clever
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. row — to paddle
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. vault — a safe
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rest — a break
  19. row — a line
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hand — help

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