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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 116 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: cabinet · wind · saw · present · lie · vault · bark · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. present — a gift
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. saw — the tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. present — the time now
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. lie — to recline
  24. present — there

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