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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · patient · craft · bat · nail · mate · hide · ball

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ball — a great time
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mate — a partner
  22. ball — a dance
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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