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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: vault · fall · temple · stock · lash · field · patient · bulb

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. 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. patient — a sick person
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fall — to drop
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. field — a subject
  7. stock — shares
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. field — farmland
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. field — for sport
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. fall — the season
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. 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