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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: clip · mouse · rule · racket · patient · bank · bay · vault

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rule — a law
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. vault — a safe
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rule — government
  17. clip — a video
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. clip — to cut
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. clip — for paper

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