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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: fan · patient · last · vault · can · object · chip · mug

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. can — a tin
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. last — to go on
  5. mug — a face
  6. object — to protest
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. last — final
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mug — a cup
  11. can — to be able to
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. last — finally
  14. object — a thing
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mug — to rob
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. object — an aim
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. can — a tin

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