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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: fall · patient · vault · bore · rush · stock · bulb · club

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stock — shares
  4. vault — a safe
  5. club — a group
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stock — goods
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. fall — to drop
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fall — the season
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. club — for golf
  19. bore — to tire
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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