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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: board · chair · patient · vault · clip · cap · ruler · saw

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. saw — the tool
  7. clip — for paper
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. chair — a leader
  10. clip — to cut
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. saw — the tool
  13. vault — a safe
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cap — a hat
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cap — of ice
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cap — a lid
  24. chair — a professorship

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