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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: patient · vault · press · season · temple · calf · ruler · stand

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. press — to push
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. press — newspapers
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. press — a publisher
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. season — in sport
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. stand — to bear
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. season — of the year
  21. vault — a safe
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. patient — a sick person

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