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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: deal · patient · fork · bound · cabinet · vault · band · sharp

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bound — tied together
  3. deal — to handle
  4. band — a ring
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. vault — a safe
  10. sharp — clever
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. band — a music group
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bound — certain
  19. fork — in a road
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bound — obliged
  24. fork — a garden tool

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