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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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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: last · vault · nail · cell · patient · season · tube · board

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. last — final
  3. board — a committee
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. season — of the year
  6. board — to get on
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cell — a phone
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. tube — a container
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. tube — the underground
  20. season — in sport
  21. last — finally
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. last — to go on
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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