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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 120 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: rock · club · chair · snap · file · wound · vault · patient

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. vault — a safe
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wound — an injury
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. club — a group
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. file — a tool
  14. club — for golf
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wound — an injury
  17. club — for dancing
  18. chair — a leader
  19. file — a document
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. snap — to click
  23. rock — music
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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