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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: vault · patient · cell · cue · spell · rest · racket · firm

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. spell — a short time
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. firm — a company
  7. spell — magic
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. spell — letters
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. firm — steady
  17. rest — a break
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. vault — a safe
  21. cue — a hint
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. firm — decided
  24. patient — a sick person

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