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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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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: chip · dip · pass · rash · vault · patient · arm · last

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. last — finally
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. last — to go on
  11. vault — a safe
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rash — a series
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. dip — to sink
  18. last — final
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. chip — for betting
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pass — a permit

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