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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: fine · wind · mug · calf · patient · stock · vault · chest

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chest — a box
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mug — to rob
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. chest — of your body
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fine — high quality
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stock — goods
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mug — a face
  21. vault — a safe
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fine — all right
  24. chest — of your body

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