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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.

Make a worksheet

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: staff · perch · patient · lie · vault · spell · mine · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. spell — a short time
  3. staff — employees
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. vault — a safe
  9. object — an aim
  10. staff — a stick
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. staff — employees
  15. object — a thing
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. lie — to recline
  20. spell — letters
  21. perch — the fish
  22. spell — magic
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mine — for digging

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