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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: cabinet · safe · pound · object · hide · patient · vault · wound

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. object — an aim
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wound — an injury
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. object — a thing
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wound — an injury
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. object — to protest
  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