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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: field · vault · wave · patient · drill · saw · rush · nail

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. field — farmland
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. saw — the tool
  8. field — a subject
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. field — for sport
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. saw — the tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. drill — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. drill — army training
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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