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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: fine · vault · bat · kid · cell · saw · perch · patient

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bat — the animal
  8. cell — in biology
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. vault — a safe
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. kid — child
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. saw — the tool
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cell — a phone
  22. kid — to tease
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fine — all right

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