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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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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: bowl · wave · row · perch · patient · drill · vault · lean

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lean — thin
  6. drill — army training
  7. row — to paddle
  8. vault — a safe
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. drill — a practice
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. row — a line
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. row — a quarrel

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