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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: chip · vault · straw · pitcher · mark · patient · calf · wax

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mark — a grade
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wax — to grow
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chip — to eat
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. calf — a young animal

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