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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: cap · patient · file · vault · press · craft · wake · calf

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. file — a line of people
  5. cap — of ice
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. press — to push
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wake — a trail
  11. press — a publisher
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. file — a document
  15. cap — a lid
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. press — newspapers
  20. craft — boats
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. file — a tool
  23. cap — a hat
  24. calf — a young animal

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