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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · face · pitch · leaves · patient · trunk · land · pitcher

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. face — part of the head
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pitch — completely
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. land — to come down
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. face — to confront
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. face — to point toward
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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