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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: vault · saw · spell · ground · pit · patient · bear · perch

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pit — in a race
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ground — the earth
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. vault — a safe
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ground — crushed
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bear — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ground — a position
  17. spell — letters
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spell — magic
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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