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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: cell · fine · wound · nail · hide · vault · patient · drill

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cell — a phone
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. drill — the tool
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. drill — army training
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. cell — in biology
  20. drill — a practice
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wound — an injury
  24. vault — a safe

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