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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 · bowl · fork · patient · sharp · march · lash · land

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. march — the month
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. land — a country
  10. fork — in a road
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. land — to come down
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. sharp — clever
  22. march — the month
  23. land — ground
  24. march — music

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