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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 · firm · patient · arm · chest · leaves · mug · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. vault — a safe
  3. track — a song
  4. chest — of your body
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mug — to rob
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mug — a cup
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mug — a face
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. chest — a box
  18. track — a path
  19. firm — a company
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. firm — decided
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. firm — steady

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