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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: vault · wound · stick · patient · key · perch · leaves · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bore — to drill
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wound — an injury
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. key — for a lock
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. leaves — lets stay

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