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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: snap · patient · scale · vault · kid · row · tube · deal

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. vault — a safe
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. tube — a container
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — to handle
  8. snap — to click
  9. row — to paddle
  10. kid — to tease
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. row — a line
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. tube — the underground
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. kid — child

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