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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 120 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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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: vault · patient · last · rush · file · key · present · cell

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. file — a document
  3. key — in music
  4. present — there
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. last — finally
  8. vault — a safe
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. file — a line of people
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. file — a tool
  15. present — a gift
  16. last — final
  17. key — the most important part
  18. present — the time now
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cell — a phone
  23. last — to go on
  24. cell — in biology

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