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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 116 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: band · bulb · lean · suit · fall · vault · patient · bowl

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fall — the season
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. suit — in cards
  9. lean — to bend
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. fall — to drop
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. band — a ring
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — to drop
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lean — thin

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