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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 120 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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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: wax · calf · current · mark · land · patient · bat · vault

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. current — electric
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bat — the animal
  9. land — a country
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. vault — a safe
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. current — happening now
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bat — in an idiom

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