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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: vault · current · roll · sharp · jam · patient · hide · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. current — electric
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. roll — a cake
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. vault — a safe
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. roll — a list
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. squash — to crush
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. squash — the vegetable

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