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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 120 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: vault · leaves · charge · foot · nail · patient · rush · spell

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. charge — electricity
  3. spell — letters
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spell — magic
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. charge — a price
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. foot — a measure
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. charge — in control
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rush — hurry
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. spell — a short time
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. patient — a sick person

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