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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 120 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: patient · stock · rule · pass · plane · stick · vault · bay

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rule — government
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stock — goods
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. vault — a safe
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rule — a law

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