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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: ground · wake · hand · cap · patient · vault · lean · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wake — a trail
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. ground — crushed
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cap — a lid
  11. ground — the earth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cap — a hat
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cap — of ice
  20. lean — thin
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. hand — help
  24. ground — a position

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