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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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Word bank
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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: wind · object · game · bay · roll · patient · degree · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. object — an aim
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. game — a match
  11. degree — an amount
  12. game — wild animals
  13. object — a thing
  14. wind — moving air
  15. degree — from a university
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. roll — a list
  20. wind — moving air
  21. object — to protest
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. degree — temperature
  24. wind — to turn a key

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