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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · rash · vault · straw · leaves · patient · stock · tube

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wound — an injury
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stock — shares
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. tube — a container
  7. stock — goods
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. tube — the underground
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. straw — a straw man

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