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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: vault · scale · sharp · clip · toast · temple · wake · patient

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. wake — a trail
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. clip — a video
  6. scale — in music
  7. clip — to cut
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. sharp — clever
  13. vault — a safe
  14. clip — for paper
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. toast — bread
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. scale — size or range
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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