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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: dip · temple · leaves · row · patient · band · bulb · vault

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. dip — to sink
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. row — to paddle
  15. band — a ring
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. vault — a safe
  21. band — a music group
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  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