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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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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 · kick · branch · tube · cue · content · key · vault

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cue — a signal
  8. tube — the underground
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. tube — a container
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cue — for pool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. vault — a safe
  16. kick — in football
  17. content — the amount
  18. key — for a lock
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cue — a hint
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. kick — a thrill

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