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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bark · patient · sharp · last · vault · saw · mouse · bay

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. saw — the tool
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. vault — a safe
  8. last — to go on
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mouse — for a computer

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