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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: chest · ball · race · patient · wound · fork · bay · vault

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. race — humankind
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. vault — a safe
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chest — of your body
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. ball — a great time
  19. race — a contest
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chest — a box

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