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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: fall · vault · dip · current · patient · arm · coach · pit

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. current — electric
  2. fall — to drop
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fall — the season
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pit — a hole
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pit — in a race
  15. current — of water
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. current — happening now
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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