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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 · file · bay · pop · mark · wound · root · patient

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. root — the cause
  4. wound — an injury
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. root — of a word
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pop — music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. file — a line of people
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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