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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: mine · vault · bulb · field · patient · track · chest · safe

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. track — to keep track
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. track — a song
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. chest — a box
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. field — for sport
  12. vault — a safe
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. track — a path
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. safe — out of danger

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