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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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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: vault · kid · last · fork · cabinet · mouse · tube · patient

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. vault — a safe
  3. tube — the underground
  4. kid — to tease
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. last — final
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. last — finally
  17. fork — in a road
  18. tube — a container
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. last — to go on
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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