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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: suit · dip · vault · patient · mug · deal · bark · chair

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. vault — a safe
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bark — to shout
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chair — a leader
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mug — a cup
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mug — a face
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. suit — in cards
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mug — to rob
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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