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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 · bore · can · spring · toast · hand · saw · vault

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bore — to drill
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. spring — the season
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. vault — a safe
  12. can — a tin
  13. toast — bread
  14. spring — of water
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. hand — help
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. hand — in cards
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bore — to tire
  24. saw — the tool

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