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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: wound · rest · patient · stock · vault · cabinet · snap · hand

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stock — shares
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stock — goods
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wound — an injury
  23. snap — to click
  24. rest — a break

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