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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: bound · patient · arm · temple · calf · vault · firm · chest

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bound — tied together
  9. firm — steady
  10. bound — certain
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. chest — a box
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. chest — of your body
  17. firm — a company
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. firm — decided
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bound — obliged
  24. vault — a safe

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