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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 116 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: bass · vault · straw · bear · patient · wound · mark · pass

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bass — the fish
  12. vault — a safe
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bass — low music
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pass — to succeed

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