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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: deal · plane · vault · patient · dip · cap · row · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. row — a line
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. deal — to handle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cap — a lid
  9. row — to paddle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cue — a signal
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cue — for pool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. plane — a tool
  22. vault — a safe
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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