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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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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: cold · vault · object · mine · cap · stem · patient · roll

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cap — a lid
  4. object — an aim
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cold — not warm
  7. object — a thing
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cold — an illness
  12. roll — a list
  13. object — to protest
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cap — a hat
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. roll — a cake
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. roll — on a roll

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