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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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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: spell · vault · wound · rest · root · patient · mate · swing

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mate — a partner
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. mate — to breed
  7. swing — to play on
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rest — what's left
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. spell — letters
  13. vault — a safe
  14. root — of a plant
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rest — a break
  19. root — of a word
  20. swing — music
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wound — an injury
  24. root — the cause

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