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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: patient · craft · fall · toast · content · swing · vault · bear

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. content — the amount
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fall — the season
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. vault — a safe
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. swing — to play on
  18. toast — bread
  19. swing — music
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. content — happy
  24. craft — boats

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