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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: temple · stick · march · fall · patient · vault

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fall — to drop
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. march — the month
  16. fall — the season
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. temple — a place of worship

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