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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: jam · patient · bound · vault · mouse · roll · dip · lash

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bound — certain
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bound — tied together
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. roll — a list
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. vault — a safe
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. jam — in traffic

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