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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 116 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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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: straw · fork · vault · patient · mate · spell · fall · bore

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. mate — to breed
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. spell — letters
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fall — the season
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mate — a partner
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fall — to drop
  23. vault — a safe
  24. fork — to eat with

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