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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: patient · bay · chest · wind · charge · vault · snap · tube

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. charge — electricity
  3. snap — to click
  4. charge — in control
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. wind — moving air
  7. tube — a container
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chest — of your body
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tube — the underground
  23. charge — a price
  24. chest — of your body

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