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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 · wax · perch · fine · present · lie · vault · season

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. fine — all right
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lie — to recline
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. present — there
  18. vault — a safe
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — the time now
  24. fine — high quality

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