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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · stem · mark · patient · saw · lean · vault · drill

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mark — a trace
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stem — to come from
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. drill — army training
  12. net — in sport
  13. vault — a safe
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mark — a grade
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. drill — a practice
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lean — thin

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