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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: rest · row · vault · mouse · kid · patient · pit · stem

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. kid — child
  3. rest — a break
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. stem — to come from
  9. kid — to tease
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pit — a hole
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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