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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: stick · patient · suit · branch · roll · bore · vault · rest

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bore — to drill
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. branch — a division
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. suit — in cards
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rest — a break
  18. roll — a list
  19. suit — clothes
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. vault — a safe
  24. branch — of a tree

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