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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · clip · present · net · patient · vault · band · saw

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. fine — high quality
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. band — a ring
  5. net — for catching
  6. present — the time now
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. clip — a video
  10. net — after costs
  11. band — a music group
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. present — there
  14. fine — all right
  15. clip — for paper
  16. present — a gift
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. net — in sport
  23. clip — to cut
  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