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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: wind · vault · bound · fine · cell · patient · present · spring

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bound — certain
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fine — all right
  7. bound — tied together
  8. fine — high quality
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. present — the time now
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wind — moving air
  16. present — there
  17. wind — moving air
  18. vault — a safe
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. bound — obliged
  22. cell — a phone
  23. present — a gift
  24. patient — a sick person

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