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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: row · wind · drill · plane · vault · toast · dip · patient

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. drill — army training
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — bread
  7. vault — a safe
  8. drill — a practice
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wind — moving air
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. drill — the tool
  15. row — a line
  16. wind — moving air
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. dip — to dunk
  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