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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: coach · last · spell · content · mouse · vault · nail · patient

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. last — to go on
  3. content — happy
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. spell — magic
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. spell — letters
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. last — finally
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. last — final
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spell — a short time
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. content — the amount

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