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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 · nail · patient · stick · root · staff · cabinet · prune

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. prune — to trim
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. staff — employees
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. root — the cause
  16. staff — employees
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. prune — to trim
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. prune — the fruit

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