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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: mark · wake · patient · wave · cabinet · lean · vault · drill

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. drill — a practice
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — a trail
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mark — a trace
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cabinet — ministers

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