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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 · can · patient · lash · wake · ball · pop · pitcher

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pop — music
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pop — soda
  18. can — to be able to
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pop — to visit
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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