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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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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 · cabinet · race · patient · bank · wound · safe · drill

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bank — for money
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. race — humankind
  6. drill — the tool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. drill — army training
  11. bank — for money
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bank — of a river
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. drill — a practice
  22. vault — a safe
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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