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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 · bowl · drill · clip · vault · face · race · stand

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. face — to confront
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. face — to point toward
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. clip — a video
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. drill — the tool
  15. race — humankind
  16. drill — army training
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. clip — to cut
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stand — to bear
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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