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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: patient · vault · bore · prune · object · race · staff · last

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. race — a contest
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. last — to go on
  12. staff — employees
  13. prune — to trim
  14. race — the arms race
  15. staff — employees
  16. bore — to tire
  17. last — final
  18. vault — a safe
  19. last — finally
  20. bore — to drill
  21. staff — a stick
  22. race — humankind
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. object — a thing

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