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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: sharp · rush · face · roll · patient · vault · nail · present

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. vault — a safe
  6. sharp — clever
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. roll — a cake
  9. rush — hurry
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. roll — a list
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. present — a gift
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. roll — on a roll

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