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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.

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: mark · leaves · vault · rash · rock · bat · patient · wax

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rock — music
  8. rash — a series
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bat — the animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mark — a trace

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