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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: snap · rest · march · patient · trunk · can · vault · swing

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. march — the month
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rest — a break
  10. snap — to click
  11. march — the month
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. swing — music
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. swing — to play on
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rest — what's left
  19. march — music
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rest — what's left
  23. can — to be able to
  24. patient — a sick person

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