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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 120 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: vault · clip · net · temple · wave · perch · patient · present

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. clip — to cut
  4. perch — the fish
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. clip — for paper
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. net — after costs
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. net — in sport
  21. clip — a video
  22. present — the time now
  23. net — for catching
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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