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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: patient · shower · vault · spell · fine · date · chair · trunk

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. spell — magic
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fine — high quality
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. shower — rain
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. chair — a leader
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. vault — a safe
  15. spell — letters
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. spell — a short time
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. shower — to wash

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