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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 116 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: tube · rock · vault · patient · mouse · mine · swing · calf

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. swing — to play on
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. tube — a container
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. swing — music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the 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